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1) De-clutter – Making your place organized and free from clutter will give your potential buyers a good impression of you and your home, and what’s great about it is that it won’t cost you a cent. Start by clearing unnecessary items not just from easily visible spaces in the house but also in closets so that your clients can have a good idea of how much storage they could have.

2) Hide signs of pets – Your client may be a dog or cat lover like you, but thick animal stench can still be off-putting for them when they’re trying to purchase their new home. If possible, ask someone to babysit your pets while potential buyers view your house. Make sure to stow away litter boxes, remove pet-related stains, and fix damages on furniture or any part of the house that have been caused by your pets.

3) Arrange your furniture – Don’t overlook the small details! Even the simple act of reducing chairs on your porch will make your space look bigger and more presentable. Another thing you could do is to move furniture that obstructs entryways. Stage your house in a way that makes it more welcoming for potential buyers.

4) Depersonalize your home – Make your house as base as possible, save for a few wall clocks and tasteful art. You want to make sure that your clients have plenty of room to visualize how they could make the space their own, and it’ll be hard for them to do that if you have too many photos of you and your family hanging on the walls.

5) Upgrade your curb appeal – Again, small details can make or break your chances of selling your house. And when it comes to marketing property, it’s crucial that you make potential buyers fall in love with it at first sight. And, the first thing your client sees when they go to your house is your curb – so a swept walkway, nicely mowed lawn, and well-placed shrubs will make a really great impression.

6) Add visible storage – A place for storage will always be a useful feature for your house. Hidden storage also helps, but visible ones will assist your clients’ visualization of where they could keep their stuff in place.

7) Paint your walls and ceilings – This will surely brighten up your home and make it look clean. Take note that it’s always better to have your paint in neutral colors than in bold ones. Make your space look spacious and elegant by going with light colors such as white and beige.

8) Change bulbs – In line with painting your walls, better lighting also makes for a brighter space which makes your house instantly appealing and inviting.

9) Spruce up your kitchen – The kitchen can often make or break your chances of selling your home, and the best way to upgrade it is to make sure that things in it work properly. You can start out by adding new cabinet handles, updating lighting fixtures, and replacing faucet sets.

10) Boost your bathroom - Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is what most buyers tend to be meticulous about. Spruce it up by cleaning your tiles and replacing your toilet seat.

Owning a home is a major financial milestone and an achievement to take pride in. One major reason: the equity you build as a homeowner gives your net worth a big boost. And with high inflation right now, the link between owning your home and building your wealth is especially important.

If you’re looking to increase your financial security, here’s why now could be a good time to start on your journey toward homeownership.

Owning a Home Is a Key Ingredient for Financial Success

A report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) details several homeownership trends, including a significant gap in net worth between homeowners and renters. It finds:

“. . . the net worth of a homeowner was about $300,000 while that of a renter’s was $8,000 in 2021.”

To put that into perspective, the average homeowner’s net worth is roughly 40 times that of a renter’s. This difference shows owning a home is a key step in achieving financial success.

Equity Gains Can Substantially Boost a Homeowner’s Net Worth

The net worth gap between owners and renters exists in large part because homeowners build equity. When you own a home, your equity grows as your home appreciates in value and you make your mortgage payments each month. As a renter, you don’t have that same opportunity. A recent article from CNET explains:

“Homeownership is still considered one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. When you make monthly mortgage payments, you’re building equity in your home . . . When you rent, you aren’t investing in your financial future the same way you are when you’re paying off a mortgage.”

But on top of that, your home equity grows even more as your home appreciates in value over time. That has a major impact on the wealth you build, as a recent article from Bankrate notes:

“Building home equity can help you increase your wealth over time, . . . A home is one of the only assets that have the potential to appreciate in value as you pay it down.”

In other words, when you own your home, you have the advantage of your mortgage payment acting as a contribution to a forced savings account that grows in value as your home does. And when you sell, any equity you’ve built up comes back to you. As a renter, you’ll never see a return on the money you pay out in rent every month.

Bottom Line

Owning a home is an important part of building your net worth. If you’re ready to start on your journey to homeownership, connect with a trusted real estate advisor today.

*Source - Keeping Current Matters